Fire escape control mechanism



June 14, @1949. J. .'J. JAzwlEcK y 2,473,205

FIRE ESCAPE CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Nov, 15, 1947 Patented June 14, `1949 UNITED STATES PATENT oEElcE 2,473,205 FIRE ESCAPE CONTROL MECHANISM Joseph J. J azwieck, Columbus, Nebr.

Application November 13, 1947, Serial No. 785,555

3 Claims. l

My invention pertains to a device which is especially designed for use in hotels, apartment houses, and the like, its purpose being to provide a fire-escape door which is, normally, closed against entry from outside with means whereby the door, in an emergency, may be opened quickly without any keys.

My device is contemplated to take the place of ordinary locks and to eliminate the need of keys which may not be in place in case of need, whether the absence of keys occurs by accident or by a deliberate act of a would-be wrong doer.

Another purpose of my device is to provide means which are normally enclosed in a case, and which may be operated only by breaking a glass window pane. This, in order to discourage tampering with the mechanism of my device and to indicate that the mechanism has been tampered with.

My further object is to provide a device of simple construction and very economical in cost, but one that may be installed quickly for use, and one which is reliable in action.

I shall now describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of my device mounted on the frame of a door, ofvwhich frame a fragment is shown in conjunction with a fragment of the door;l

Figure 2 is the enlarged iront elevation of my device with its hinged cover swung upwardly to vdisclose operative members within;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view of my device on line -33 of Figure 1 but disclosing operative parts therein in a different position.

Similar numerals refer tosmilar parts throughout the several Views.

It will be understood that the door is formed within a wall structure IIB, the frame of the door being marked I I. My device, generally indicated by numeral I2, is mounted on said frame II a'djoining the free end of door I3 which is hinged at its opposite end in the customary manner in which doors are being hinged for operation. My device is enclosed in a case I4, substantially rectangular in shape, by means of Screws I5, and includes a cover I 5 hinged at I 'I at the top of the case, and provided with a circular opening I8.` A key I9 serves to operate a lock which may be built into the case of the door for the purpose of keeping the case normally locked.

Disposed within the case in a bearing 20' which forms an integral part of a sidewall of the case, as best shown in Figure 3, is a short, horizontally extending shaft 2|. The shaft, secured to the inner side of the case by means of a nut 44, is a lever having two arms extending substantially in opposite directions. One of said arms 22 extends upwardly, while the opposite arm 23 extends downwardly and is provided with a flat, integrally formed plate 24 disposed normally in a vertical plane parallel to the back wall of the case. Keyed to the shaft externally of the case is a crank handle 25 by means of which said two-armed lever may be operated.

Placed in a position to adjoin the upper arm 22 of the lever and back of the opening I8 in cover I6, is a thin pane of glass 26 held between two vertical tabs 2l and supported at the bottom by a horizontal ledge 45 as shown in Figure 4. The glass is loosely mounted in such a manner that it may be lifted out of place and another pane of glass may be substituted therefor. EX- tending transverselyfrom a point behind the plate 24 on the lower arm of the lever rearwardly towards the vouter wall of the frame II, is a sliding pin 28. The bore in which the pin is disposed is marked 29. At what is the rear wall of the frame Il, said pin 28 abuts against the head 30 of a T-shaped member 3l including two eyes 32- one at top, the other at the bottom-for a pivoted support of the T-shaped member on a vertical pin 33. Mounted on the pin between said eyes 32 is a tongue-shaped member 34, henceforth referred to as a tongue.

The Vertical pin 33 is journalled at its outer ends in the top and the bottom walls respectively of an enclosure 35 which is mounted on the outer side of door frame Il. The enclosure includes a transversely disposed mounting plate 36 secured to the frame, as best shown in Figure 3, by screws 3l. Cooperating with the tongue 34, is a twoarmed locking member 3B fulcrumed upon a Vertical rod 4I disposed parallel to said vertical pin 33. One of said arms of the locking element, namely that marked 39, is normally disposed at right angle to the tip of tongue 34 in an abutting relation to said tip. The other arm 40 of said locking element 38 forms a locking bar for retention of a bolt 42 which extends from its mounting 46 on door I3.

It` will be noted that the mounting plate 35 is provided with a rectangular opening 43 of a size permitting entry of said bolt 42. The disposition of the bolt 42 within said enclosure 35, specifically between the tongue 34 and the locking bar 40 of lever 38, is shown in Figure 3. It is a position in which the door is locked against being opened from inside. In order to open the door I3 from inside, it will be necessary either to withdraw bolt 42 from its position between the tongue 34 and the locking bar 40, or to permit the locking bar 4U to be swung outwardly as shown in Figure 5. Specically, how this can be accomplished will be described forthwith.

The locking: engagement between'the'bolt and the locking bar 40 of my devicehas been described above. Assuming now that the door is to be opened, it will be necessary to have that locking bar 40 swung outwardly as above-stated. To accomplish this, all that is necessary is to manually swing the crank handle 25 fromlitsposit-ion as shown in Figures 1 and 3 downwardly. As the crank handle is attached to a two-armedlever within the case and as one of said arms'='22bears against glass pane 26, the downward swing of the crank'- handle maybeaccomplished only -upon breaking of saidffg-lass. Simultaneously, platef24 on' theV lower armf23 of said lever `will push pin 28in thezdirectionlot the outersideof the fra-me Il against-the head-301:01D the T-shaped member 3l. KThe stem ofthatT-shaped member normally abutting a sideof tongue 3A-will push the tongue outwardly out of Y the.y abutting' engagement with arrn-39 of lever38. Thisrwillresult in a` swing oflock-ing bar lll).outwardly and out of the-way of bolt 42, whereupon the door may be opened by .being pushed from inside.

`There is noautomatic adjustment-of the `locking parts in my device wherebylthey would reset themselves-.back to the normal position' shown infFigure'S. Asa result of that, thedoor once opened Willremaininits unlocked position so that-other.persons maybe free to leavevthev building throughsa-iddocr withoutthe-necessity of operating the-crank handle. In'order to re-set the operative partslofthe device, specifically the tongue and-the locking bar 40, the adjustment has-to be made-manually. This can be-'eiiected simply by manuallypushing in the tonguefSfl' inwardly from theposition shown in Figuref to f thewposition showninFig-ure 3.

It willbeobvious that some changes may be made .in the: structure-of l myL device withoutdeparting .from the -inventive principle disclosed herein. follows:

1. InA combination with a door vertically hinged in a. wall thereof, a device of the kind described including an enclosure on the outer sideiof the wall adjoining ythe free end of the door, a `vertically pivoted two-arm-ed locking 'member-in said enclosure, a vertically pivoted i tongue in `said enclosuredisposed normally at' right angle to'one armor the memberand being in abutmentv therewith, theother arm yof the memberrforming a locking bar, the space between the tongue and the locking vbarbeing adapted forreception -oi the bolt on the door, a case onV thef inner side of the wall, a hinged-covervfor said case, the cover framing a removable pane of glass therein, a two-armed lever fulcrumed` withinthe ease ona shaft disposed-parallel to the rear wall thereof, one .of said armsbeing-.in abutment with the pane of'glass. the other arm bearing againsta.- sliding pin `disposed horizontally and extending n outwardly of the case through the bodyofthewall What I,-therefore,fwish to claim is as4 and-including a "bolt,atthefreefend '4 into said enclosure against the tongue therein, a crank handle to operate the two-armed lever in the case, a swing of the lever serving to break the glass and to push the pin against the tongue to swing the same out of engagement with the two-armed locking member.

2. In combination with a hinged door for an enclosed space and having a bolt on the end thereof remote from the hinge, a device of the kind 'described "includingan Yenclosure on the outer wallfadjoining the free end of the door, an aperture in the enclosure for entry of the bolt,

ifa two-armed locking member within the enclosure, .onevarm forming a locking bar and being "disposed in the path of the bolt outwardly of the --enclosure in itsarcuate swing with relation to .thehinge of the door, a pivoted tongue normally xalu'ittingat right'an'gle the other arm of the ilever to keep the locking bar in its bolt-blocking position, a case on the inner side of the wall in register with the enclosureontherouterwall, ahinge'd cover for the case framinga panerof glass therein, a slidingpin extending from within the case into lsaid enclosure, a two-armed lever within'the case, alhandle to operate the same,

'onefarrn being adapted on operationof .the'lever to break the glass pane, the other to. push the. pin againstthe tongue to disengage itfroln its abutment-with the two-armedflockingmember inthe enclosure to swing .the locking bar out .of rthe way ofV the bolt.

In combination with alhingedv door ina wall and provided with' a bolt on.- the free side thereof remote from the hinge, .a device of the kinddescribed comprising Yan enclosure .on the .outer side of the wall and including. a'platein. a tangential relation to thefree endof the. door, the plate having an aperture vfor entry of the bolt into the enclosure, a pivoted two-armed locking member within'theenclosure, one arm .forming 'a locking vbar for thebolt inthe path of the bolt moving outwardly of the enclosure in. an arc with respect to the hinge ofthe door, a pivoted tongue normally wedged at right angle to theopposite arm of said member, the space between the -tongue and the Llockingbar :being large enough to accommodate the bolt,a case on the inner side ofthe wall in register with the enclosure, a cover forv the case framing a pane of glassr parallel to the surface of the wall, a. sliding pinextendi-ng 'from within the case against the sideof the door in`the enclosure, .a .two-armed lever fulcrumed within the case midway the length of the lever, one arm bearing against the ypane of f glass, the other arm bearing against thepin, a crank handle to swing thev lever to force one arm against-the glass to break it, the other against .thepin-to swing the tongueoutyof engagement with the twoearmed locking member inl the enclosure.

:JOSEPH J. JAZWIECK.

. REFERENCESl CITED The 'followingreferenlces are of record inthe file of y this patent:

IUNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,354,321 Kornrumpf July 25, 1944 "FOREIGN PATENTS Number Y.Country Date 15,397 VGreat,Britain, Sept. 29.11890 

